Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-17

New Workers Think they Know how to
Improve the Delicious Fruit.

1
[From the Savannah News
More watermelons are consumed in New
York taan in any other city in the world
| and the watermelon season is now at its
| height. One of the largest and finest OF
| the 200, 900 watermelons that reached the
| metropolis last week found its way into
| the cafe of fashionable uptown hotel. II
/ was prepared for use and placed in the ice
| box.
People from the country and the smaller
| towns come to New York in great numbers
/ at this season of the year, and among the
| recent arrivals was a worthy gentleman
| from little rural settlement in southern
| Michigan, who came to see his brother, g
Wall street broker, from whom he had been
separated ever since they were boys together
on the old farm. The two brothers dropped
| in at the cafe in whose ice box rested the big
watermelon first mentioned.
"Let's have a watermelon" said the broker.
The rural brother readily assented.
"Will you have it plugged" asked the
| broker.
"Of course" answered the rural brother.
'Didn't we always plug melon before we ate
| it when we were boys!'
| The broker whispered some order to the
waiter, and directly that servitor returned
with the big melon aforementioned. When
| he cut it it seemed very juicy and aromatic.
The brothers ate it greedily. The rural
| melon in his life. It seemed to loos-
| en- and later to thicken his tongue. Fin
ally he stared at his broker brother and
asked:
George, washer masher wish dat mel'ns'
George smiled and answered: SIT was
plugged"
sfHow pluggeda" asked the rural brother,
with suspicious, not to say silly, leer.
George replied: ga hole had been cut
| in the end of it and bottle of champagne
and gill of brandy poured in. Then it was
| left in the ice until it became perfectly cold.
The sweet juices of the melon mingled with
the liquor so mellowed it that you did not
taste it."
The rural brother looked astonished, and
declared that he had never heard the like.
He had plugged melons when boy to find
out whether or not they were ripe, but he
had never engaged in such expensive and
celebrating plugging as the case in question.
The next morning, when he had recovered
from the effects OF the plugged melon and was
discussing it's wonders with his brother, the
latter, who has become . distinguished cpl
cure, said:
SIT would surprise you, old man, to know
how many methods of serving watermelons
the pourmands have invented. Many prefer
plugged melon filed with clsret, but for
my part nothing equals sherry melon.
Gosd pale sherry-and it is hard to get
shou Id be boiled down to almost syrup and
then allowed TO COOL. Wn6n IL mas re2cneo
the proper temperature, pour it into the
melon, place the fruit in the ice box, and
when you are ready take 1t out and eat it.
It more nearly approaches the nectar of the
gods than any combination on earth. Then
there is a sort of sherbet made of watermelon
Juice. I know of but one place in New York
where you can get it. The meat of the melon
in compressed, the juice mixed with wine and
the mixture placed in freezer until the fine
needles of ice begin to form in it. Then it is
served and nothing can equal it as a cooling
decoction."
The rural brother was much impressed
with the epicure's erudition on the subject
of The watermelon. That evening OF dinner
he was still further astonished when the
epicure ordered as an entree some water
a1elon fritters and, a CONNECTION, some
candied watermeIons. 81 should think the
Eaelon would melt while they are cooking it
or quitting that candy around It," said the
ruralist.
afThat is a trick the French have taught
us.n answered George. "They cover a
niece of cold melon with delicate batter and
Geek it 80 quickly that the fruit hasn't time
to be much affected with the heat. That is
the way these fritters were made. Then they
take very cola piece of melon meat, im-